fennerty



(No Model.)

J. M. PENNERTY, Deod.

B. FENNERTY, Administratn'x. RAILWAY SPIKE. No. 477,171. Patented June14, 1892.

mmma Q lllllllliillllllml 11 nzfen 024 W awe/111M208 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. FENNERTY, OF \VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; BARBARAFENNERTY ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID JOHN M. FENNERTY, DECEASED.

RA] LWAY-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 477,171, dated June 14,1892.

Application filed August 6, 1891. Serial No. 401,894. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: with a flat striking-surface 3 and a railhold- Be it known that JOHN M. FENNERTY, deing tongue or lip 4, havingits top surface deceased, late a citizen of the UnitedStates, andpressed below the flat striking-surface of the aresident of \Vashington,in the District of spike-head in such manner that when the 55 5Columbia, did during his lifetime invent cerspike is driven there is noliability of the tain new and useful Improvements in Railblows of thehammer bending or otherwise way-Spikes, of which the following is aspecidisturbing the correct position of the railfication. holding tongueor lip. The penetrating-point This invention has for its object toprovide of the spike is formed with a long bevel 5 at 60 an improvedrailway-spike of such eonstructhe front edge of the spike and with ashort tion that it is strong, substantial, and durable, bevel 6 at therear edge thereof. These bevand possesses characteristic features thatrenels extend at different angles of inclination der it well adapted fordriving without waste relatively to thelongitudinal axis of the spike,of force transmitted by the hammer. and they are of differentlengths,with the short 65 [5 The invention also has for its object toinone located at the rearend of the spike. The

crease the holding power of a spike and renrear edge of the spike isformed with a longider it exceedingly difficult of extraction, sotudinal laterally-projecting rib 7 running apthat it is not liable towork loose in any manproximately the full length of the spike and nerunder vibrations produced by the rollingextending along the back side ofthe spike- 70 stock of a railroad. head 2 for the purpose of supportingand The invention consists in a railway-spike strengthening the head,and thereby preventhaving a fiat driving-head, a rail-holding ing itfrom bending backward. The lateraltongue or lip depressed below the fiathead,a ly-projecting longitudinal rib imparts conpenetrating-pointbeveled front and rear into siderable strength and rigidity to the spike75 angles of dilferent inclinations and lengths, shank or body and issquare in cross-section, the shortest one being at the rear side of thewhile its lower extremity gradually tapers spike, longitudinal groovesin its front side and vanishes into the short beveled edge 6 of whichdiverge from the head portion to the the penetrating-point. The lowerend perpoint, and a longitudinal rib so constructed tion of thelongitudinal rib is formed with a 80 and arranged as to provide parallelrabbets series of ratchet-like teeth 8, the shoulders 9 at the corners.of which are uppermost, in order to interlock Theinvention also consistsin other features with the timber when the spike is driven ofconstruction, which will be hereinafter dethereinto. The longitudinalrib is so disscribcd and claimed, reference being made to posed alongthe median line of. the spike as 85 the accompanying drawings, in whichto provide at each side thereof a rabbet 10, Figure 1 is aside elevationof my improved so that the corners of the spike at the rear spike. Fig.2 is an elevation looking at the edge thereof are rabbeted in parallellines, rear side of the spike. Fig. 3 is a similar thereby materiallyfacilitating the entrance view looking at the front edge of the spike.of the spike into the timber, while securing 90 Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view of the the desired result of rendering it difficult tosame. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of amodified extract the spike. Thefront edge of the construction. Fig. 6 is an elevation looking spikeshank or body is formed with a pairof at the rear side of the same. Fig.7isa transgrooves 12, which diverge from the head porverse sectionalview of the modified eonstruetion of the spike to the beveled surface 5of 5 tion. the penetrating-point. The divergent :11- In order to enablethose skilled in the art rangement of the grooves causes them to extomake and use my invention,I will now detend in reverse diagonaldirections, and when scribethe samein detail, referringto the drawthespike is driven there is practically a ings, whereindovetail connectionbetween the same and I00 The numeral 1 indicates the shank of the thetimber, which renders the spike difficult spike, and 2 its driving head,which is formed to extract and largely contributes to its holding power.The outer edge of the longitudinal rib 7 is formed with a longitudinalgroove 13, and the points of the ratchet-like teeth 8 are likewisegrooved longitudinally, as at 14C, for the purpose of facilitating thepenetration of the spike, while increasing its holding power.

In the modification, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the construction is the same asdescribed with reference to the remaining figures, and like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts; but in the modification thesides of the spikes are formed with longitudinal ribs 15, which arerounded or approximately V- shaped in cross-section. These ribscontribute to the holding power of the spike by increasing the availablebearing area without materially enlarging the size of the spike incross-section. The available bearing area of the spike is largelyincreased by the peculiar construction and arrangement of thelongitudinal rib 7, corner-rabbets 10, and divergent grooves 12, andconsequently a firm holding or gripping action is obtained-when thespike is driven.

The improved construction provides a strong, substantial, and durablespike possessing characteristic features that render it well adapted fordriving in correct relation to the rail-flanges without waste of forceon any part of the spike-head. It is difficult, if not impossible, forthe spike to work loose or rise, and in fact the holding power of myimproved spike is such as to render its extraction so difficult that Ispecially construct the under 7 sides of the head to avoid slipping ofthe draw-bar in extracting the spike. For this purpose the sides of thehead extend laterally, as at 16, to provide bearing-surfaces 17, each ofwhich is continuous or unobstructed from the rear side 18 of the head tothe extremity, or approximately to the extremity, 19 of the rail-holdingtongue or lip 4. By this peculiar construction of head the claws of thedraw-bar can engage with the bearing-surfaces 17 the full length of thehead from its rear side to a point near the extremity of the holdingtongue or lip, thereby effectually preventing the draw-bar from slippingwhen the spike is being extracted. This is a very desirable feature ofmy improved spike, which will recommend it. as an efficient means forsecuring railway-rails.

A perfect rail-spike is of vital importance in constructing perfectrailways, and While many different forms of spikes have been proposedmany of them are objectionable from the fact that they do not possessthe de sired holding capacities and the available bearing area does notattain the desired result of perfect interlocked engagement with thetimber.

The improved spikes herein described and shown will securely attachrailway-rails, and itsholding power is largely increased.

The flat striking-surface of the striker-head, elevated above the topsurface of the railholding tongue or lip, is an important and desirableelement of the spike, in that it is arranged in line with the shank andreceives all the force of the blow of a hammer, in consequence of whichthere is no waste of force on any other part of the spike-head.

The relative arrangement and peculiar construction of thepenetratingpoint fulfills the conditions required to properly guide thespike into the railway-tie and 'onto the railflange,

A firm hold or grip is secured in the timber by the increased availablebearing area of the spike, and the construction is such that no lateralblows are required on the head to force it up to and on the rail-flange,because the penetrating-point of the spike is so formed that while it isbeing driven into the timber or tie the point of the spike has atendency outward in the timber or tie, thereby causing the upper portionof the spike to closely hug the rail-fiange while being driven.

The divergent grooves cut or separate the fibers of the wood withoutcrushing or tear ing them, so that they are carried down toward thepoint, and this cutting or separation of the fibers endwise commences atthe penetrating-point, and therefore the timber is compressed into thegrooves, which makes it impossible for water to enter around the spikeand prevents that portion of the timber or tie from decaying or rotting,the peculiar construction of the grooves, whereby they diverge from thehead portion of the spike to the penetrating-point or extend in reversediagonal directions, rendering the spike susceptible of firmly holdingin the timber or tie, and it will not yield to the vibratory motions ofthe rails produced by the rollingstock of a railway. The construction ofthe grooves is such that when the spike is driven into the timber or tiethere is a substantial interlocked connection, which effectually resiststendency of the spike to work loose by vibrations of the rail incidentto traffic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an improvedarticle of manufacture, a railspike having a flat driving-head, arailholding tongue or lip depressed below the Hat surface of the head, apenetrating-point beveled front and rear into angles of differentinclinations and lengths, the short one being at the rear edge of thespike, longitudinal grooves in the front edge, which diverge away fromeach other in a direction from the head portion to thepenetrating-point, and a longitudinal rib extending along the rear sideof the head and formed at its lower portion with ratchet-like teeth,substantially as described.

2. A railway-spike having a fiat drivinghead, a rail-holding tongue orlip depressed below the flat surface of the head, a penctrating-pointbeveled front and rear into angles of different inclinations andlengths, a longitudinal rib extending along the rear side of the headand having its lower portion formed with teeth, and longitudinalrabbeted corners at the sides of the longitudinal rib, substantially asdescribed.

3. A railway-spike having a fiat drivinghead, a rail-holding tongue orlip depressed below the flat surface of the head, longitudinal groovesin its front side, a longitudinal laterally-projecting rib on its rearside, and a penetratingpoint beveled front and rear into angles ofdifferent inclinations and lengths, substantially as described.

4. A rail-spike havinga longitudinal laterally-projecting rib extendingalong the back of its head and formed with a longitudinal groove in itsouter edge, substantially as described.

